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OOC: Right, Jessica isn't known yet for her incredible brute magical strength, and i look forward to writing that in. Right, that sounds good. Neither Jasper nor Jessica is foolish enough to try and take the other down in this one moment here...alright, we'll play it that.

IC:

"Antigonis is no fool, he knows he needs me alive..." Jessica growled, "But I'm not so dumb either, I know you're going to try to subdue me the only way you know how. We're both out of bed, past hours....we'd best move along. I can only assume your sister is in on this too...don't make me reveal powers and magicks known only to my kin, Slytherin..."

Jessica did not back down, not about to make the first move, "Eden, i know you're there....why don't you come out and explain away your brothers actions like i know you want to?"

At the sound of her name, Eden felt a tingling sensation creep up her spine. After she had realized that there would be no fight – that Jasper would not pick this night to transform and sink his teeth into Jessica’s flesh, she had retreated down the corridor, making certain not to be seen. It was only when she was at the very end heading for the staircases that she heard Jessica say her name.

What else did she say? Her words were too quiet to be audible at this distance. Eden thought. Should I go back?

Just as the thought left her mind, Jasper’s voice rang out very loudly.

“Eden?” He growled angrily, believing Jessica. “Where are you?” His robes glided along the floor behind him as Jasper searched the immediate area for his sister. He looked behind the statue where she had been, looked in a few alcoves in the stone walls.

Deciding that it was not wise to linger any longer, Eden climbed the staircases to Ravenclaw Tower. She heard one last thing from Jasper before his voice faded into nothingness.

“She is not here! If you are trying to fool me, it hasn't worked. Now, this is the last time I will say it – the Slytherin common room tomorrow at midnight.”

"Damn, Dragonfly, what's eating you?"

Jessica jerked back to reality at once, having nearly fallen asleep during Transfiguration. Her elbow slipped off the working table and she grunted, whirling around to see Race grinning at her with that charming lopsided manner.

"Rough night?"

"Yeah..." Today's lesson was rather dull, and now that the professor had left the room for a moment, she had snagged the oppertunity to get some shut-eye, "I...loads of homework.."

"You liar, you weren't in your dorm or in the common 'till well past midnight, what were you doing in the halls?" Race asked, looking at her with a strange mixture of pleasure and reproachfulness on his face, "You know you aren't supposed to wander the halls..."

"Oh, yeah well no one told me that..." Jessica tried. She still hadn't picked up quills or parchment yet, thusly she sat with her notebook and her pens feeling distinctly out of place in this school, "Good thing i didn't get caught, eh?"

"Blimey i wish i had your luck." Race chuckled, leaning back in his desk and folding his arms over his chest, "You've scarce been in this castle a week and you know the highways and byways enough to avoid getting caught for a nightly sojourn?"

"I suppose." Jessica decided not to comment on the maps she had been given to study before her arrival.

"You," Race was still laughing, "Are one strange girl."

No joke. Jessica hadn't slept at all that night, sitting on her bed in her dorm with her wand pointed at the door, waiting for it to spring open. So the danger here WAS real. The reports had not lied....things were really going down again. There was a new Dark Lord, and this time around things were going to be nastier--there was help from overseas.

Jessica looked over at Eden, who was resolutely not looking back. She had expected as much, after the events last night (Jessica KNEW she could sense the magical presence of another caster, so it HAD to have been Eden or she would have been reported for being out in the halls) and tonight...

Tonight, Jessica was planning on going. Antigonus would not try to kill her, and any methods of incapacitating her would fail miserably, but then again, he knew that. She would not be trapped lightly, but she needed to fill her assignment. She would get in, get out, and in enough time to get at least six hours of sleep. That was indeed her goal.

The next day went relatively fast. It was murder trying to avoid Jessica’s prying eyes, but Eden managed. She was aware of everything that would be at steak that night, and was not looking forward to the confrontation that would ensue in the Slytherin common room.

Eden was sure that Jessica would show up. First of all, the girl was clearly a member of some kind of American opposition force; secondly, she seemed to have a certain knack for intimidation that would made her a worthy battle opponent. Could she resist a fight? Could she manage not to get bitten by Jasper? Eden got a sick, twisting feeling in her stomach at the thought of Jasper in his wolf form. He was ruthless, determined – bloodthirsty. Yes, he could speak when he was a wolf, but he was not himself. Would Jessica be able to dodge Jasper’s lighting fast movements and razor sharp teeth? Eden had seen one too many people be bitten, and a few killed, by Antigonus and his wolves. The amount of blood, the sick pleasure in the voices of the wolves; it was enough to make anyone crawl in their skin.

At dinnertime, Eden wanted nothing more than to eat her meal in silence, but nothing of the sort took place once Paul sat down at the Ravenclaw Table beside her.

“Did you hear what just happened?” He asked with genuine enthusiasm in his voice.

Eden rarely heard Paul Ziegler be enthusiastic about anything but Astronomy or his Head Boy duties, so she turned to him and quickly asked what had gone on.

His slim, pale face glowed with intrigue and slight concern. “It’s about your brother. I don’t know what happened exactly, but he’s in the headmaster’s office right now.”

“What?” Eden exclaimed, dropping her fork on the table. It made a loud clinking noise as it ricocheted off her plate and landed on the floor. She immediately assumed the worst, rushing from the Great Hall and heading straight for the marble staircase. She had only made it halfway up when Jasper appeared from a third floor corridor and scurried down to meet her.

“Come with me,” he said quietly, heading back down the staircase to the ground floor. He headed for the dungeons, Eden trailing close behind. The winding dungeon corridors led to the Slytherin common room, decorated with green couches and serpents carved into every spot possible on the stone pillars near the entrance. The common room was empty, as everyone was still at dinner, but the two siblings made for Jasper’s dormitory anyway. His room was far into the maze of the boys’ dorms, but they slipped in a few moments later and closed the door.

“What’s happened, then? Paul told me you were in Marx’s office!”

“Oh, that was nothing. I hexed a Hufflepuff in my Potions class when they overheard me talking about Wolf’s Elixr to Agnello.”

Eden breathed a sigh of relief. “I was worried… you know…”

“Do not be foolish. I would not talk about those matters, even when class had already let out. There is too much at steak to say anything anymore. This Vandenbrooke girl is more of a difficulty than I originally thought.” Jasper paused, looked at his sister curiously then continued. “She said something to me last night – that she knew you were with us.”

“It was true.”

Jasper scowled. “You have been told not to interfere. I do not want you to see punishment, Eden. Do not disobey him; there will be nothing I can do.”

Eden wandered over to Jasper’s bed and sat down on it. “I don’t need your protection from him. I have faced his punishment before, and I will do it again.”

“I have a direct order to bite this girl,” Jasper stated gruffly. “If you get in my way –”

“You’ll what?” Eden asked perilously, standing up to face her brother, however much she had to tilt her head up to look at his face. “Will you hex me like you did to that Hufflepuff? Nothing I can’t recover from in due time. You may win the battle, but not the war my brother.”

“If you aggravate me when I’m in wolf form, there’s no telling what I may do.” Jasper did not break the eye contact. “I may not hesitate to bite whatever flesh gets in my way. Antigonus would certainly be pleased, although I do think that he wants to savor the pleasure of biting you himself.”

Eden backed up a few steps, but Jasper didn’t move. “You’re twisted Jasper!” Eden yelled. “You’ve let this all go to your head, you wouldn’t dare bite me.”

“Oh, I think that I would, but you’re skin’s too porcelain to bite here.” Jasper had closed the space between them again, and was clutching Eden’s forearm tightly. He rolled up the sleeve of her robes. “All the blood would stain your perfect paleness.”

Eden wrenched her arm from her brother’s grasp. The skin felt tender as she touched it protectively. “Don’t think that I will become – one of you without a fight.”

Jasper laughed. It was loud, mocking shrieks of ridicule. “Come now, little sister. I only jest. You’ll understand why I serve my master in due time.”

Eden felt herself being grabbed into a sudden hug. It was a tight, suffocating hold, but instead of struggling, she let her tense form slacken and forced herself to relax into the embrace.

OOC: Sorry it was so long, I just had quite a bit to say!

OOC: Length is alright! Sweet post! I have to trundle off to school, but i popped on to read it and you'll get a post in about *thinks* 9 hours lol?

OOC: For the sake of....well...i dunno, just for the heck of it we'll say that Jess's father was a Slytherin and that she's a parselmouth.

IC:

The end of the day came quickly. Jessica found herself once more in the library, finishing up the bulk of her homework. When she put her mind to it, she was a dutiful worker. Race had departed, sensing that she needed some time to herself. There was no Quidditch practice tonight, but still Jess nursed an urge to fly. She needed to feel the wind on her face, to have something blowing her blond tresses about...

She closed her Muggle Studies book and huffed. The magical worlds perception of muggles was hardly accurate, but at least it had changed over the past 100 years. These days pure bloods were getting harder and harder to find--and it was getting more difficult to live a magical existence without some sign of muggle-life in the home. Jessica knew all about these things, her father was a prominent figure in Chicago...and she liked hanging around with her muggle friends (who, of course, did not know of her Quidditch fame.)

Midnight was fast approaching.

She knew it was part of her assignment to go into the claws of the beast, but still she couldn't shake the feeling that the Coven wasn't telling her soemthing. She gathered her belongings and headed out the door, but instead of a left she took a right and headed down the passages towards the Slytherin Common....

"I have business here...." She whispered to the snakes in parseltongue. They shifted on the dungeon doors and let her inside the dimly lit chamber.

It was afterhours, and there was no one left awake. Jessica stood at the far corner of the etherreal common room, her wand already at her side, "Come out, come out wherever you are..."

OOC: Sure, sounds good. And I like the way that this story is going. Very exciting!

IC:

Eden shot up straight, green satin sheets pooling around her body. When had she fallen asleep? She shook her head, rose from the bed and realized that the dorm was empty. Looking frantically around, she realized that Jasper was not in his bathroom either.

It must be midnight already! Eden thought anxiously. What if Jessica had come and gone already? No… what if Jasper has been successful in biting her?

Eden rushed from the dorm, weaved through the maze of the boys’ dorms, and found herself out in the spacious, dimly lit common room. She was quite confused when Jessica stepped into the room a few seconds later, looking around and calling out for whoever was hiding.

“Jessica…” Eden stated, suddenly feeling very exasperated. Where was Jasper?

There was a moment of enveloping silence in the room, causing the hairs on Eden’s neck to stand at full attention. She felt a strange feeling of foreboding ahead. A faint tapping sound came from the direction of the boys’ dorms, causing Eden to whip around hastily.

“Incarcerous!”

Amidst a flash of white, Eden was flung backward with great force, hitting one of the snake-adorned pillars in the room. Something tightly constricted around her, and as she looked down she realized that they were thick white ropes. Now snugly held against the pillar, there was no chance of Eden retrieving her wand from her robes.

“Oh sister, you are dreadfully nosy. Apparently I need to make a stronger sleeping draught next time!” Jasper’s eyes were ablaze with malice, his thin lips curved up into a triumphant grin.

Eden struggled against the ropes, fighting her hardest to get at least one hand free. She opened her mouth, willing herself to fight back with whatever weapons she had at her disposal. “You bloody git! Let me go, Jay. Antigonus will have your head for this!”

“Do not call me Jay!” Jasper roared, coming closer to his struggling sister. “And you were instructed not to meddle. I am just ensuring that you don’t.”

“You foul—” Eden spat, but was cut off by the force of Jasper’s palm clamping down over her mouth.

He smiled wickedly. “You’ll just have to get used to me having more power. Once I accomplish this task, Antigonus will boost my rank. You won’t be his favorite little girl anymore, Eden.”

“Mmmrfffhh!” Eden tried to yell in protest, but Jasper’s hand hindered her voice.

“Do be quiet and let the big kids play. Silencio!”

Eden felt a surge of powerful anger rise up inside of her. She could do nothing but struggle to free herself from the hold of the ropes. Suddenly, she realized that Jessica was still in the room. The ropes obstructed her neck movement, but she was almost certain that Jessica was not standing at the entrance to the common room anymore.

OOC: In high action battle scenes like this, don't mind if i god-mod a bit...

IC:

She was hiding behind the pillar that Eden had been lashed to--the two girls were in essence back to back. Jessica knew she had only seconds before Jasper would come after her, and hissed the following in one breath.

"He slipped sleeping draught into EVERYONE's drinks tonight, I don't know how he did it. I skipped dinner and went to the library, so in the entire school there are only a handful of students who aren't out dead gone until the morning. No one will hear you if you scream out."

"REDUCT--"

Jessica sensed the shift in magic even before Jasper had tried to utter the spell. She whirled out and away from the pillar--Jasper was in such a state that he would curse straight through his sister to get to her. Her wand was already out and she flicked it--

The shield charm's incantation reverberated in her head and sprang out the end of her wand. It was a large shimmering dome that flared to life...when it faded, she was gone.

A swish--the small sound of a wand being brought down in the air--

A lancing streak of black and red energy broke from the tip of Jessica's wand and sizzled in the air. It wound itself into the shape of a Dragon, poised in the air above the American girls head.

"SUBSTANCE CONFORM!" Jessica muttered in wizards Latin, giving her wand a wave.

The Dragon grew in size and unfurled its wings. It was a Patronus of sorts in the way that it was planing on protecting Eden.

"Speak your piece, Exley." Jessica said shortly with the dragon hovering over their heads.

OOC: Don’t worry, it’s fine. I’ll try not to, but I might a couple of times.

IC:

Eden stared up at the giant red and black dragon above Jessica’s head, marveling at the strange American magic.

“I urge you girl… try and fight me. I daresay that you will find it a tad more difficult when I am in my real form,” Jasper snarled, throwing a stunner towards Jessica that narrowly missed her shoulder.

Struggling pathetically against the ropes that bound her, Eden suddenly thought of an idea. It was risky – it would mean revealing something that she had managed to keep a secret for months. She would be losing a part of her, but it could be vital to keep Jasper’s teeth away from Jessica’s flesh.

The atmosphere in the room had become tense; the air seemed to stiffen around Eden’s throat as she breathed heavily. She looked to Jasper, who wore nothing but raging contempt on his face. He raised his wand, pointing it at his face while shouting, “Oppugno!”

A great green cobra forced itself out of Jasper’s mouth, growing quickly in size once it hit the stone floor. The snake reared its teeth, hissing at the girl in front of it. Its eyes were black as night, shining with the prospect of a victim to sink its teeth into.

“Yes, I know that you are a parselmouth girl. Luckily, I have adapted and learned the language of the snake as well.” Jasper smiled devilishly, his silver eyes filling with delight. “Coil yourself around her. Leave a limb out for me to bite.” Jasper told the snake.

Eden only heard a mess of parseltongue before she watched the snake lunge toward Jessica. In a split second, she had made up her mind. She would have to reveal herself for what she truly was.

Jessica thought a nonverbal and seized the snake mentally. It was indeed a close call as the Dragon arced low and planted its feet in the marble floor.

~Turn back, do not touch me, i am of your blood!~ Jessica replied to the snake, all in parselmouth, ~My father is a descendant of your true master's master...~

~Then why is the dragon your steed?~ The snake asked, coiling itself, and looking up at the sparking beast, ~Why is he at your side?~

~Because you have betrayed me and joined the wolf.~

"You said we came to talk, Exley!" Jessica now spoke in English, braced and ready to call down further maledictions, "So talk! What doe Antigonus want me for?"

Jasper let out a shriek of whooping, hearty laughter but did not lose his scowl. “You don’t realize yet? He thinks you would be an excellent addition to our forces, just like my sweet little sister here, would she comply that is.”

Jasper held his left hand out directly in front of him, palm up. “Come back to me, serpent.” he whispered in parseltongue, the snake obeying and coiling itself into Jasper’s hand, shrinking down to the size of a garden snake as it did so.

“So, Vandenbrooke. What do you say? Fancy becoming a wolf tonight?” Jasper’s tone was mocking, but his actions proved to be anything but a joke. He closed his eyes for a split second – when they opened, they were no longer the grey/silver eyes of Jasper Exley, but the yellow and black eyes of a wolf.

He let out a great yelp, falling to his knees as the transformation took place. Eden saw the effects of her Wolf’s Elixr once more, as Jasper broke out of his human form, sprouting a thick coat of brown and black hair. Jasper howled, baring the razor-sharp teeth he possessed, all while staring directly at the American girl in front of him.

Eden wished to cry out, she needed to free herself. This was it. She concentrated hard on herself, willing the transformation to take place. In a split second, she had dropped from her bindings and was low to the floor. She felt her body touching the cold stone surface below her as she drew closer.

Jasper had also edged closer to his prey, circling the girl he wished to bite. The way he licked his teeth and calculated his steps so dearly gave him the look of a true predator. His paws clicked on the stone as he circled, stepping a bit closer with each movement.

Eden had positioned herself behind another pillar closer to the action. She knew that Jessica’s dragon would protect her, but for how long against a full wolf? Jasper was tricky in wolf form, as he always kept his wand in the pocket of his robes during transformation, meaning that it currently resided in his fur. He was able to use both verbal and nonverbal spells just like in human form.

He circled Jessica once more, finally speaking, “We will have you, you will be a wolf.”

Abruptly, Jasper’s back legs launched him off the floor and into the air towards Jessica. He was sailing towards her at rapid speed, and Eden had to act quickly. Being a much lighter, agile creature, she was able to collide with Jasper in mid-air, giving Jessica a chance to step away, and her dragon a chance to step in front of her.

“What is the meaning of this?” Jasper asked lividly in his deep, rough wolf-voice. He stared at the red-grey fox in front of him, realizing who it was. “Eden? Wha—”

Taking another potion that she had invented herself, much similar to the Wolf’s Elixr; Eden was able to talk as an Animagus. It was only five months ago that she had mastered the complex spells and rituals involved in making one’s self become an Animagus, but she had told no one, not Jasper nor Antigonus, of what she had been doing.

“Surprised, Jay? Now you realize why I never wanted to be a wolf.”

“You’ll regret that decision, I guarantee you. You’re a fool, Eden! Antigonus won’t like this. And I’m going to have to stop you tonight; I must accomplish my task!” Jasper yelled, snarling at the fox.

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I have nothing to regret.” Eden lunged toward Jasper, striking his nose with her paw. She bit down on whatever part of his wolf body she came in contact with, sinking her teeth in and listening to the accompanying howl from her brother.

OOC: How do you want this resolved? Jessica whipping out her wand and laying a smackdown on Jasper, the thee of them working this out peacefully.....

OOC: How about Jessica lays a bit of a smackdown on Jasper, but he manages to get her through the fireplace to Antigonus. They'll have a little chat there, Antigonus will punish both Jasper and Eden, then have some of his wolves set on Jessica to try and bite her. It's up to you whether they succeed or not. Sound good? Let me know if you'd like to change anything, I'm open to suggestions.

OOC: I wrote this specifically so Jasper and Jessica are in front of a fireplace, and there's a flame ready. Jessica's spell has rendered Jasper's ability to perform magic dead for at least an hour or so--sorry. If you don't like that i can edit it.

IC:

Jessica raised her wand high into the air and brought it streaking down as she shouted a lengthy incantation. The energy levels shifted in the room and the dragon threw back its head, exploding spectacularly. The concussive blast sent lancing bolts of energy everywhere in the room, the bulk of which flashed towards the two figures in the center of the Common.

~Careful, Jess.~ She thought as the display flared to life, ~Don’t reveal too much of what you can do…~

The power ripped from Jasper to Eden, flinging the former to the other side of the room where he struck the fireplace mantle with a stunning finality. This power was no kinder to Eden, shooting through every fiber of her being and forcing her back to her human form.

The same happened to Jasper, now he lay growling even without fangs or fur. The room was suddenly still. Jessica walked slowly towards Jasper, who lay in a small bundle in front of the fireplace. As her boots clacked on the marble floor, sparks from the blast caught the ashes in the hearth, and a flame started to grow…

“It will take you at least a day to fully regain your ability to so much as charm a teacup.” Jessica said in a fierce voice, planting her foot on Jasper’s throat, “This is only a fraction of what I can do. Aren’t you a little worried about what Antigonus hasn’t told you about my person?”

Eden howled, which turned into a long high-pitch scream once she had been changed back into a human by Jessica’s spell. She writhed on the floor, feeling a dull shooting sensation pulse through her body. It was another few moments before she could open her eyes, look around, and assess the situation.

Jasper lay near the fireplace. He was curled up and looked to be in a rather large amount of pain. His usual pallid complexion was smeared with an expression of agony – his browns furrowed and his cheeks red. Embarrassment was also evident. He had never been defeated so badly in his life.

Jessica was looking down at Jasper, her foot on his throat. Her ‘just-try-and-challenge-me’ expression could now be fully understood, as both Exley siblings had a resonating feeling that they had hastened to judge the girl. It had become all too apparent that this confrontation was a battle of wills – the will of two distinct individuals; Jasper, with his forceful and direct method of resistance, opposing all who crossed his path; then there was Jessica, with crafty strength and mysterious powers up her sleeve.

But where did this leave Eden? She felt an instinctual desire to protect her brother, but would opposing Jessica really be the smartest thing to do? It was not likely that Jessica would allow herself to be bitten, but was she really strong enough to resist the Wolf Lord? His approach would not be like Jasper’s – he would have a more cunning tactic up his sleeve.

“Oh, I’m not worried,” Jasper managed to slip out despite the pressure on his throat. “Not about your powers, anyway. Antigonus will deal with you.” Jasper muttered something incomprehensible to Eden, his wand came flying over to him, and in a split second he had grabbed Jessica’s leg and yanked her into the fireplace with him.

Eden scrambled off the floor and dashed through the portal in the fireplace before it closed. The strong sinking feeling in her stomach already told her where they were going.

Sure enough, the high, arched ceilings of the Manor’s ballroom came into view on the other side of the portal. The large many-windowed room was dark as night, only the moonlight streaming in through the long vertical windows illuminated the faces of the people standing before Eden.

Jasper and Jessica stood just before Eden, right in front of the fireplace. They too were staring at the faces of the men in the center of the room.

“Exley,” Antigonus drawled, stepping into the moonlight. The contours of his face were clarified in the light, only small shadows now played over his strong features. “I see that you have failed me. Come here, boy.”

Jasper stepped closer to his master, putting on a brave face. The followers behind Antigonus chuckled at Jasper; Eden figured that most of them knew what was coming. They stood in a perfect ‘V’ shape formation behind their Lord, all of them wearing their characteristic black robes with red detailing.

“What happens when you fail, hmm?” Antigonus looked directly into Jasper’s eyes with no sign of leniency. He waited for a moment, but Jasper was silent.

“Answer me!” he roared, seizing Jasper by his throat.

Choking sounds emitted from the boy, his body becoming instantly limp as he was deprived of oxygen. Without making a conscious decision, Eden ran to him, frantically trying to pry her godfather’s hands from around Jasper’s throat.

“Desist!” Antigonus stated, pushing Eden backwards and out of the way, “He can free himself simply by answering me.”

“I – I – ” Jasper croaked, “I d-deserve to be p-punished.”

Antigonus laughed venomously, the other wolves joining in with him. “There’s a good cub.” He released his grip on Jasper’s throat, causing the boy to stumble backwards before regaining his balance.

“Crucio!”

Jasper cried out furiously as he was knocked off his feet, writhing and screaming on the ground. Antigonus kept on smiling, looking quite pleased with himself.

“Learned your lesson, boy?”

Jasper was lying on his side panting heavily. His eyes were closed and his face was screwed up. When he finally mustered up the courage to open his eyes, he tried to stand up but the after-shock of the pain caused him to teeter and sway before his balance returned.

“Yes, sir.”

“I don’t think you have, quite yet. You don’t understand Exley – when you disobey me, you will wish yourself dead! Oh, I have more pain in store for you yet. At least your father knew a thing or two about how to get things done! Though, he was just as weak as you are. Yates, keep an eye on him.” Antigonus seized Jasper by the neck of his robes and pushed him toward Yates, who grabbed both of the boy’s arms and held tight.

OOC: I wanted to write more, but I was afraid it would be way too long. I'll write his confrontation with Eden later. For now, you can write Jessica's interpretation of what's going on, or have her say something if you'd like.

The second Jessica's feet felt something solid underneath them, she tried to turn on the spot and Apparate out--to no avail. Wherever she was, it was sealed off and there was no getting out. She had felt Jasper gripping her leg, and did not have time to react--frankly, she was shocked that the wolf had the energy to even pull her along. Perhaps the stamina of a Wolf was far more than your average witch or wizard.

Now she looked around at the robed individuals, and knew that she was in trouble. This had been the ultimate plan of the Coven, but it was too soon. The only way to get out of this was to spell her way out, and she couldn't afford to reveal the full brunt of her force.

The man called Yates now had a firm grip on the boy. Jessica stepped forward, her wand out and pointing at the Wolf Lord, unwavering and her voice was strong.

"Antigonus...i am here, speak your piece!"

Jasper had, in essence, failed. Jessica watched the punishment without batting an eye.

A slow chuckle emitting from the throat of Antigonus gained momentum as the other wolves joined in, staring at the two girls in front of them. Antigonus looked as smug as ever, high off the torture of his own godson. It was a sick, twisted kind of pleasure that he received from using the torture curse on others. But there was nothing that compared to the face he wore after killing someone.

“Oh, my dear wolves – look at this!” Antigonus swept closer to the American, a smirk on his face. “I almost forgot you were here.”

“Leave her alone!” Eden shouted. She immediately regretted her audacity when her godfather did exactly that. He turned on Eden, looking at her furiously.

“And you,” he stated spitefully, “I instructed you not to interfere! Do my rules mean nothing to you, Eden?” Antigonus stepped behind her, speaking gently into her ear. “I know for a fact that you wouldn’t break them unless it was very important.”

He turned to face her now, crouching down to be on eye level with Eden. “You are not a fool – this I am certain of. But love makes people act foolish, and you have grown attached to this girl, have you not?”

“No! I don’t – I haven’t!”

“Do not lie to me! I sense that you do not want me to bite her. That is not for you to decide girl, so step aside. I will deal with your punishment for disobeying me later.”

Antigonus shoved Eden out of his way, clearing the path to Jessica. It only took a moment for Eden to get back up, and by standing right in front of her godfather, she made her point clear.

“You’ll kill her; you mustn’t bite girls of this age! We do not know what the effects of the Elixr will be on her! If you need this girl, why would you risk killing her?”

“Silence!” Antigonus roared. There was a distinct wolf-like tone in his voice, and the ballroom instantly went silent. No one dared to speak when the Wolf Lord was so angry.

“What do you think you know of my plans? You are just a child!”

Before thinking, the words spilled out of Eden’s mouth. “I know more about the Wolf’s Elixr than you ever will. I created it you bloody git!”

Antigonus put on a calm face, but the anger in his eyes was unmistakable. “I didn’t want to do this to you, but I have no other option.”

”Crucio.”

There was no chance of resisting the spell. Eden’s wand was knocked out of her hand as searing pain shot through every fiber of her being. She had experienced the same pain once before, but this time was much worse. She didn’t know where she was or even if she was still alive. The pain could not be escaped.

“Master!” Yates shouted suddenly, “You’ll kill her, she’s just a girl!”

“She needs to be taught a lesson. I will not let her wriggle out of this one. It appears that I have been too lenient with her. This will cease immediately.” Antigonus kept the torture going. “I will teach her to bow at my feet.”

“No! Stop it! You’re going to kill her!” Jasper screamed, struggling against Yates’ grip. His face had turned completely colorless. The agony of watching his little sister being tortured was too much for him to handle. “STOP IT GODFATHER!”

Antigonus stopped abruptly, stalking over to Jasper, who was still struggling against Yates. “Do not call me that,” Antigonus snapped, looking disgusted with the boy. “You are not my godson. You are a wolf. It’s about time you started acting like one.” He drew his hand back, bringing it across the side of Jasper’s face with such force that the sound echoed through the dark ballroom.

Jessica knew she was signing her life away but she could not stop herself. You always helped the helpless. ALWAYS.

She twirled her wand on her fingers and shouted another curse to the vaulted ceiling--the same black and red energy erupted from her wand and arced around the room spectacularly until it fazed out of existence. It had hurt no one, but the startling display was enough to make sure that eyes were on her again.

"Leave them alone, Wolfram." Jessica said, stepping closer to the Wolf, "This is between you and me, isn't it? Where is my father?"

“Ah, I see that you and your father are one in the same. Not everything is about you little girl – I am rather disappointed that Eden has not informed you of this. Yes, do not mistake the importance of me requesting your presence here, although I expected you to already be a wolf by this point. Foolish of me to place such high expectations in such an incompetent little brat, wasn’t it?”

Antigonus did not seem fazed by Jessica’s magic. Eden could barely see his face from where she lay in dire pain on the floor, but she knew his expression by the tone of his voice. She knew this man too well. He had been her legal guardian for years, still remaining so during the short periods her father had been released from Azkaban. Eden highly doubted that she would see her father again now. He had gotten in over his head – with the evidence that the Ministry had against him it was unlikely that he would ever live outside the walls of Azkaban again.

“Now listen, I know about your little coven and its plans to overthrow my power, but this is very unlikely. When someone becomes a wolf, they are either in my clan, or they are cast out of society to live alone. Most people choose the former, as they are too afraid of living on their own. You see, wolves like us are not accepted by most of society for what we are. It is in our best interests to keep a strong clan, as our clan is all we have. I am aware of how I am viewed by the wizarding world, but I find it hard to believe that people are scared of turning into wolves. Being a wolf is not death. Why fear it?”

The other wolves nodded, Yates looking particularly satisfied with Antigonus’ words.

“We are strong wizards, and strong wolves. We do not kill. Yes, we may bite, but only to strengthen our forces. As we are viewed so negatively, I must use certain precautions to keep the clan united and strong. I may use the Cruciatus Curse, but the Imperius and Killing Curses are forbidden in this clan. If you cooperate, you may come to realize in time that we are not the bloodthirsty beasts we are portrayed to be.”

“No! You lie!” Eden shouted, coming to her feet unsteadily. “You may not kill, but that does not mean you are saviors of wolves! You use other methods to gain control over innocent individuals that have done nothing to deserve the servitude you force them into! If you’re trying to prove that you’re not like Voldemort, then fine. We get it. Although your goals may be vastly different, your wraths are not.”

“Master?” Yates asked sharply, motioning towards Eden.

“No, leave her. Keep Exley under control, but leave Eden alone. She will only obey me.” Antigonus faced his goddaughter, a look of animal instinct on his face. “Come here.”

For a prolonged moment, Eden thought about raising her wand and casting the Cruciatus Curse back on Antigonus. She thought of the immense pleasure it would give her to see him writhe on the floor in pain, but just as suddenly as she had dreamt it, her eyes were open and she was really doing it.

The spell did not affect the tall, bearded man as it had her, but Eden knew that he had felt some sort of pain. It knocked him backwards, but not off balance. His robes were what tripped him up, and he collapsed backwards into Yates, who steadied him quickly.

If he had been angry before, it was nothing compared to the fury in his eyes now. He didn’t move an inch, but the look in his eyes said murder.

“Come here,” he repeated, his voice much deeper and harsher than the pervious attempt.

Eden obeyed, but not consciously. Her feet took her towards Antigonus in a trance, each step forgotten as her black school shoes tapped on the ballroom floor. In seconds, she was as close to the man as she had ever been, his eyes boring a hole through her.

Her throat was seized in his tight grip, but not so tight that she was without oxygen. It was a rather comfortable hold – clearly Antigonus was trying to make it look as if he were strangling her. Eden almost laughed in spite of herself at this indiscretion. The Great Wolf, a fool captured by love?

This was BAD. Her display of power had shocked the other wolves, but not Antigonus--the man she needed to convince. She felt foolish, it was the stereotype of all Americans, wasn't it? That everything was about them? She wasn't in her country anymore, and due to a slip-up in judgement, she was standing in a place that she was only supposed to be in with the other Agents...

When Antigonus gripped Eden, Jessica's fury nearly boiled over. Was this the depth of the Wolfram's depravity? That he would kill a CHILD, much less his own godchild?

Jessica stepped towards him, her wand outstretched. His declaration that he knew the Coven's plans did not faze her, her father was undercover and had fed the Wolfram false leads and information, anything he thought he knew now was a lie. All of it.

"I don't care if its none of my business, when you hurt a friend of mine it's the same as hurting me!" Jessica felt terribly cliche saying all of this, but she did it anyways. Her eyes were glowing a faint scarlet as the power inside of her welled up, wishing dearly to be spilled over like blood, "Wolfram..."